am young enough to learn? It must have taken you all your life
to do it so beautifully. Will you teach me how?"

On the other side of the fence something moved in the thick brush, and
there was a sound of a man's deep chuckle, but the two contestants in
the art of making faces were too much occupied to notice anything of
their surroundings, and the unknown watcher enjoyed this novel
entertainment for some moments.

At length the preacher said, "Well, Peace, I came over to see Gail.
Where can I find her?"

"In the kitchen, most likely. Come along; I will hunt her up."

The two strolled off toward the house, and a crouching figure in the
hazel thicket followed them until they entered the kitchen door, when it
dropped flat on the ground again and remained there alert and listening
during the conference in the little brown house.

When at last, as dusk was falling, the minister strode down the path to
the gate, a shabby, gray-haired man emerged from the shadows along the
roadside and hurried after him. Hearing footsteps so close by, the young
man halted, expecting to see some of his parishioners or acquaintances
of the village trying to overtake him, and was naturally somewhat
startled when accosted by a stranger.

"I beg your pardon," said Mr. Strong. "I thought it was someone who
wanted me."

"It is," replied the shabby man. "I take it that you are pastor of the
Parker Church,--Mr. Strong, I believe?"

"Yes, sir," answered the preacher, still a little bewildered.

"My name is Donald Campbell--"

"President Campbell of the University?" gasped Mr. Strong in surprise,
involuntarily looking down at the stranger's threadbare clothes.

"As you prefer. Oh, I am in disguise! I will make explanations as we
walk along if you can give me a few moments of your time. I should like
to interview you in regard to our late Brother Peter Greenfield's
family."

CHAPTER XXI

SURPRISES

"Why, Gail, what are you doing?" asked Faith one cold, dull November
day, as she hurried into the kitchen from her village trip, and found
the older sister picking two plump hens.

"Can't you see?" smiled the girl, glancing up from her task with an
excited, happy sparkle in her eyes.

"Yes, I can see, but what is the occasion? Has Peace made another raid
on the hen-house with poison or rat-traps? I shouldn't suppose we could
afford chicken unless by accident. Thanksgiving is more than two weeks
off."

"What day is tomorrow? Am I